A Good Fortune
by Effrinae Trinx
Summary: Effie and Portia take a trip into the local markets when Effie is approached by a fortune teller. What will be revealed? Read to find out ;) Hayffie goodness


**A Good Fortune - Hayffie one shot**

Easily distractible me.

xxx

'A Good fortune'

Effie and Portia were wandering aimlessly around the busy Panem markets when suddenly, on old woman, dressed in colourful attire and dripping with charms and beads, took a hold of Effie's hand and smiled a toothy grin.

"Do not fret, hidden beauty. There is a man that loves you deeply" she chimed and looked deep into Effie's eyes

"Excuse me?" Effie laughed and tried to pull her hand away, but something about the woman's concentrated look made her stop and listen.

"Your children. They are beautiful just like you" she said "A girl, blonde like her mother?" Effie tugged nonchalantly at her lavender wig. "Blue eyes. The boy, grey, like his father" the woman continued. Effie let out an amused gasp and Portia looked to Effie with raised eyebrows.

"Father? Effie, what have you been hiding?" Portia asked suspiciously

"Nothing! I swear! There is no father! not even children! and I'm most definitely NOT with child I can assure you" she turned to the old woman "I'm sorry dear but you must be mistaken, I'm haven't, nor do I plan on having any children, let alone two!"

"Ah but you will, my hidden beauty, you will" she chuckled and rubbed the palm of Effie's hand with her fingertips

"You're a fortune teller, right?" Asked Portia and the old lady nodded and smiled wider "ok…." Portia continued "if it's true and you can really see into the future, if she IS going to have children, then WHO will be the father and WHEN will he make himself known?"

"PORTIA!" Effie cried "don't be so rude" but Portia just shrugged and folded her arms.

"Eyes of grey and scars with meaning." The old lady started to babblt "He's already known my dear. He's already in love with you but….you hide yourself from him, why?"

Effie laughed "hiding? I'm not hiding from anyone! What do you mean? he's already in lo- he's known…? do you mean I already know him?"

The fortune teller nodded at her

"Well…who is he?" She asked desperately

"Eyes of grey and scars with-"

"Meaning! yes, you already said that but I don't understand I-"

"You will. In time. But you must show yourself, your true self. Then and only then will he be known" the old lady continued

"My true self?" Effie laughed again but a little more nervously "But I am! This is me, what are you saying?" She quizzed, but the old lady just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"In time. You will understand my dear" she replied

"Huh! Some Fortune teller!" Portia huffed but Effie just shrugged, bemused and intrigued

"Please, continue" she asked the woman but her eyes suddenly fell sad

"War. There will be a war"

"A war?" Laughed Portia "preposterous! Effie, the woman is crazy, come on lets go" But the woman held Effie's hand tighter and pulled her closer

"There will be pain, much pain my hidden beauty. You will suffer greatly but he will save you and you will love him more than you ever dreamed" the lady said, then smiled once more "remember who the real enemy is, good day to you both"

The woman wandered away slowly, turning once to call out her last prophecy

"The flood will wash you to dangerous shores. Swim brave and reach for the sand!"

then, with a blink of an eye the woman had vanished into the busy market crowds.

"What a nut job!" Cried Portia "a war, floods? She'll be hanged if she keeps talking to people that way around here" Portia sighed and pulled Effie along but Effies eyes still wandered into the crowds, looking for the strange woman "Come on Ef, I spy sequin over there!"

xxx

Effie got back to the penthouse quite late, her feet were aching and tomorrow was the the Victory party for district 1. After that it would all be over for another year and Haymitch would leave for 12, she, for her apartment in the outter city. She ran herself a bath.

As the tub filled she undressed and wrapped her towel around herself, she applied her face cream then removed it along with her make up for the day. Finally she pulled her lavender hair free from its pins and placed it to one side, running her fingers through her tangled blonde tendrils that fell in soft waves past her shoulders. She looked at her eyes. Blue. A smile came to her lips. She wondered momentarily about herself as a young girl. Blonde curls and blue eyes. She imagined a child of her own, just like the woman had said, blonde hair and blue eyes. She sighed gently at the notion, knowing full well that her window was almost gone, she was nearing her late thirties now and knew it was only proper to be married for at least 2 years before children. Neither were close.

She thought of a boy with eyes of grey then shook him from her mind. She did not know any grey eyes from what she could recall. It was silly to dream.

She felt warm water suddenly at her feet.

"Shoot!" She cried out. The tub had over filled, she splashed over to the taps and started to turn but nothing happened, the water kept pouring out. She turned them the other way, but that just made the water pour faster

"Oh shoot! Shoot!"

Effie wrapped her towel tighter and called out for help.

"Somebody! Quick! Help!" She reached in for the plug but the water was too hot, it scolded her and her bath tub was deep, she could't reach it without risking a burn.

"Anybody? Help!"

Her bathroom door flew open

"What the-"

"Haymitch! quick! The taps wont turn off!"

"Then take the damn plug out!" He moaned as he leant over her bath

"Its too hot!" She yelled but that didnt seem to matter to Haymitch, he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and reached in without even flinching.

"There" He sighed "Calm down, I'll go get-"

Haymitch froze but Effie didnt notice that he was staring at her, lips parted and eyes wide, she was too transfixed on the knife cut scarring down his bare arm. Scars that had turned white against his red skin due to the temperature of her bath water.

"Your scars…" She breathed "Theres so many…" She looked up to meet his eyes, eyes that were busy roaming down her half naked body, her face and her hair.

He swallowed painfully as the sight of her made his throat dry.

"Haymitch?"

His eyes snapped up

"Yeah!"

"Are you ok?" She asked, feeling a little embarrased and alot exposed

He exhaled loudly and a smile teased his lips

"Not any more" He whispered "Wow…Effie….you're" He ran his wet hand through his sandy hair, awkwardly. The water made it stick out a little "You're beautiful, you know that?"

He spoke very matter of factly and it flattered her. She felt herself turning red.

"Um….Thank you" she replied and they stood in silence for a moment, she looked at her bare feet then back up to his scars, then his sandy hair. Without a care of a second thought she moved toward him, invading his personal space and ran her fingers through his hair.

"You have, ah, its sticking up a little…" She combed her fingers though his sandy locks

"Sandy…sandy….sa- SAND!" she cried then snatched her hand back suddenly, she looked around the bathroom as Haymitch looked at her like she was crazy

"The water, its…the tub its flooded, its a flood!" She stepped back slighlty, thoughts spinning through her head

"Its a puddle Efs, calm down" Haymitch joked but not like he usually did with her. His teasing tone had been replace by that of a caring one, a gentle one.

"But the sand, I touched it"

"Huh?"

She shook her head and waved her hand in the air

"Sorry, you're hair….I meant- well the colour, but- thats not what I meant- the lady, today she, ah" She couldnt get the words out

"Are YOU ok Ef?" He asked and closed the gap between them again. He placed his hands gently at her upper arms and thats when she noticed his eyes

"Grey…"

"My eyes?"

"Yes…they're…"

"They're grey"

"Yes…"

"Yeah, so?"

"You're scars…"

"What about them?"

Without thinking she ran a finger down the opening 'V' of his shirt where she spied the tip of another scar. He blinked at her touch and swallowed again.

"What do they mean?" she asked and he cocked his head in bewilderment, a smile came upon him again at her sudden interest

"Well…they each tell a story…so I guess they mean quite alot" He mused "Whats the matter princess?"

She took her hand away and ran it cautiously up the barrel of her neck and over her opposit shoulder

"Nothing, sorry. Thank you" She smiled and took another step back. Haymitch sensed it was time he left her too it

"I'll, ah, get an Avox in here to have a look at your taps" He stated and she nodded silently at him

"OK…." He continued "Any other ways I can save you today sweetheart" but his words struck a chord on her heart strings. She thought back to the old ladys words

_'He will save you and you will love him more than you ever dreamed'_

"No, thankyou Haymitch" She smiled knowingly at him "Maybe some other time"

She really was a mystery, he thought to himself as he chuckled slighty and shook his head "Ok" he nodded then left her alone whilst he went to get an Avox.

Effie sat on the edge of the tub, breathless and overwhelmed. She caught herself in the mirror, her true self. Bare face and wig free, un hidden from her capitol attire.

Hidden.

She remembered he'd called her beautiful and then remembered the look that had been in his grey eyes as they wandered over her.

Could he?

Did he?

Could she? Could they?

it was all happening so fast. She pictured a young boy again suddenly, a young boy with her bouncing blonde curls and eyes of grey and she found herself smiling at her reflection.

She really, really could.

She draped a dressing gown over her towel covered self and went to find him when another thought stopped her.

War.

There was to be a war?

She froze and her eyes teared a little.

She didnt know much about war, or love for that matter but she believed in fate and she believed in the old ladys prophecy too.

Effie took a deep breath and remembered the words 'suffer' and 'pain'

If it was going to happen, it was going to happen soon, she would have to be ready.

She sat at her vanity and Haymitch re appeared with the Avox

"Just gonna-" He pointed to her en suite and she knodded "This way" He called to the Avox and then gave her a reassuring smile before he headed in to help.

Effie looked back at her reflection and imagined the young girl and boy. Blonde hair and eyes of blue and grey and sighed deeply.

From then on she often caught herself looking into Haymitchs deep grey eyes. Wondering, looking forward, hoping

And no matter how much they argued, or how distant they seemed to be from each other. No matter what pain or suffering was to come, she was ready. Knowing that a new future awaited her, a love beyond her wildest dreams and children of her own made her believe that she was ready. She was ready to face anything.

xxx

I hope that wasn't too disappointing xxxxx


End file.
